Ridgid Angle Grinder R10202 Troubleshooting

Smoke or sparks are coming out of the motor housing while grinder is in use.

The carbon brushes should wear down evenly over time and be replaced, but the brushes can also become damaged during use. If carbon brushes are worn down or have chips, they must be replaced. If a burr has formed, the brush may be removed and the burr carefully filed. To access, remove, and replace the carbon brushes, see our guide here.

A buildup of debris around the carbon brushes can prevent them from moving up and down properly and disrupt their ability to supply current causing sparking and/or smoking. To visually inspect the brush housing for debris, see how to access the carbon brushes here.

Buttons on the grinder won’t press or release.

If safety switch fails to release after being depressed, do not attempt to use the device further. The springs for the button in question may be old or faulty. Keep your fingers away from the trigger and make sure there is no power to the device. If safety switch refuses to depress, the device will not operate and will need to be disassembled to assess the issue and possible to replace the spring. In either case unplug the device for safety.

If the button is able to be pressed and the tool is not responding, make sure there is a power source to the device. If that is not the issue the button itself, or an internal component might need replacement. If the button itself is jammed and will not go down, there might be a build-up of dust, metal, etc, between the button and the body of the tool. If possible take a small household object to scrape the debris out. If this does not resolve the problem with the button, an internal component might need replacement.

Grinder disk does not operate smoothly.

Use the provided wrench to tighten down the grinder blade. The bolts attaching the blade to the motor might need to be tightened down. If the blade is not flat, you will need to return/purchase a new grinder blade.

Check the fittings between the disk itself and the central motor axis as a snug fit is needed to keep a flat grinding surface. If this does not fix the problem, see Grinder is insufficiently tightened above for additional solutions.